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jul 22 2026Zsombor Maronka makes the jump to NCAA basketball. The Hungarian small forward, developed through Joventut Badalona's academy and with Liga Endesa experience, has been announced as St. John's new player for the 2026/27 season.
Maronka, standing 2.08 meters tall, joins the program led by Rick Pitino, who has highlighted his shooting, passing ability, and wingspan. The player arrives from Hamburg Towers, where he competed last season in the German league and the EuroCup.
In the 2025/26 Bundesliga, Maronka appeared in 27 games, averaging 7.8 points and 4.4 rebounds, along with 36.8% from three-point range on more than four attempts per game. In EuroCup, he added 5.6 points and 3.2 rebounds per game.
Before his stint in Germany, the Hungarian played in Spanish basketball. He played for Joventut between 2020 and 2022, where he developed and made his ACB debut, and later played for Real Betis. In total, he accumulated 37 games in Liga Endesa before continuing his career at Neptunas Klaipeda in Lithuania and then Hamburg.
A full international with Hungary, Maronka comes off having a prominent role with his national team in the 2027 World Cup qualifying phase, averaging 10.5 points and 3.5 rebounds in four games.
His arrival strengthens a St. John's roster that continues to look at the international market to add talent and size. It also confirms an increasingly visible trend: European-developed players finding in the NCAA an attractive avenue to relaunch or advance their careers.
